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Baltimore Orioles manager Buck Showalter, center back to camera, argues with New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi, center right, at the end of the first inning of a baseball game between their teams, Monday, Sept. 9 2013, in Baltimore.
(AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez)

The men needed to be separated during a heated exchange in the first inning at Camden Yards. According to the New York Daily News, Girardi was yelling at Baltimore third base coach Bobby Dickerson for allegedly stealing the Yankees' signs. ESPN's Buster Olney reported that Girardi was upset that Dickerson was relaying location, or where Yankees catcher Austin Romine was setting up.

Showalter came out of the dugout as Girardi was speaking to the umpires, challenging Giradi to address him directly. Girardi, through a phalanx of umpires and coaches, obliged.

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Girardi refused to go into specifics about what set him off, saying only, "The one thing that I've done, the whole time that I'm here, and everywhere I've been, is I'm going to protect our players at all lengths. That's what I'm going to do, and there was something that I saw and I'm just going to leave it at that."

Dickerson, who said he had never been berated like that by an opposing manager, said he heard Girardi chirping from the dugout from the start of bottom of the first. Girardi had moved from the end of the bench close to the plate to the end of the dugout nearest third base by the time the inning had ended.

"Immediately, like right when I got to third base," Dickerson said. "I didn't hear him at first. I heard something and as I looked at the dugout, he was right there yelling at me from the far end. And I was running off the field, something else was said. And after that it was over."

But not before a red-faced Showalter bolted from the first-base dugout, gesturing angrily and shouting at Girardi before being held at bay by home plate umpire Ed Hickox. Girardi followed from the third-base dugout in calmer fashion as players from both teams spilled onto the field.

"It strikes a chord in me and I stand accused," Showalter said.

Once order was restored — and both benches were issued a warning about any retaliatory measures — television cameras showed Showalter shaking his head and glaring at Girardi from the Orioles dugout.

"Two competitive good teams and we're fighting for the same thing, so there's a small margin for error. ... But Bobby's not giving pitches," Showalter said.

Baltimore won the game, 4-2. The teams will continue their series Tuesday.